Yarn guide for full-fashioned knitting machines



Oct. 9, 1951' E. w. KAUL YARN GUIDEFOR FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES 1 Filed May 14, 1949 INVENTOR Emil mliiamfiaui Patented Oct. 9, 1951 YARN GUIDE FOR FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES v Emil William Kaul, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 14, 1949, Serial No. 93,232

The present invention relates to reciprocating yarn carriers and particularly to those for use in full-fashioned and other types of weftknitting machines.

As is well known, the yarn carriers in fullfashicned knitting machines are arranged to be reciprocated in a straight line across a bank of needles. In such arrangement each of the carriers is carried upon a separate bar or rod in side by side relation, and in order to bring the delivery ends of the carriers in the same plane, the carriers are bent to various angles. Each of the yarn carriers is so designed that the yarn extends along the upper face thereof, through a groove in the carrier face adjacent to its bend and to and through a guide tube at the lower end of the carrier aligned with said groove. As there may be as many as nine carriers for each knitting section operating to deliver yarn in the limited space between the sinker head cap memher and the needles of the machine, all of the carriers have the lower ends thereof bent to conform to the front edge of said cap member with the carriers closest to the cap member having the greatest degree of bend. The carriers hav-. ing the greatest degree of bend are usually the main carriers and are therefore, used more extensively than the carriers having the least degree of bend. Further, in the carriers having the greatest degree of bend the grooves cannot be made sufiiciently deep so that the yarn contacts the bottom surface of the bend in the carrier in passing to the guide tube.

The usual yarn carriers are also provided with replaceable guide tubes which may be readily removed when worn by withdrawing them upwardly from the bores in the lower ends of the carriers, such removal of the tubes being facil- V itated by the grooves in the carriers.

Usually with this relation-of the groove and guide tube few, if any, difficulties arise due to the general run of yarn fed through the carrier. However, the present synthetic yarns of the linear condensation polyamide group, so-called nylon, and particularly of the mono-filament type, which is now in extensive use, in many instances has an abrasive action on the parts of the carrier contacted by the yarn. With this type yarn the abrasive action is particularly damaging to that portion of the groove at the bend of the main carriers, or those having the greatest degree of bend, with the result that the remaining metal at the bend is cut or worn through in a very short time. With the carrier cut through the slightest defect or projection on the yarn snags itself in the cut, consequently tearing the yarn and causing the fabric to be pressed-01f.

It is an object of the invention to provide 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-126) means on a reciprocating yarn carrier for pre-' venting the yarn from roughening or cutting the grooved portion of the carrier without detracting from the efliciency of the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide means associated with the yarn carrier for pre-' venting the yarn from entering the roove of the carrier and which may be readily applied to or removed from the carrier without afiecting the setting thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yarn guard arrangement on a yarn carrier adapted for use with both multi-filament and mono-filament yarns, the guard being free of any corners on which the yarn may catch in operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a very light guard means for a reciprocatory yarn carrier adapted to prevent abrasion of the carrier by the yarn, whereby the use of the guard means will not materially increase the inertia of the reciprocatory parts and therefore will not materially increase the forces developed in themachine during operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yarn guard arrangement on a yarn carrier having a high economy of manufacture and installation.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and combinations of parts in cooperative relationship as more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a yarn carrier within the invention mounted in a full-fashioned knitting machine together with a fragment of the bar for supporting the carrier and of the knitting mechanism associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on a vertical plane at right angles to the axis of the bar supporting the carrier shown in Fig. 1 but on a considerably enlarged scale compared to Fig. 1;

Fig. i3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of the invention; and r Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing and description, only the means necessary to a complete understanding of the invention are specifically set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of other related, usual and well known knitting machine elements, mechanisms, etc., may be found in one or more of the following publications:

1. Pamphlet entitledFull-Fashioned Knitting Machinespublished and copyrighted by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1920.

2. Four catalogs entitled-Reading Full- Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalogpublished and copyrightedby the Textile lVlachine Works, in 1929, 1935, 1940 and. 194:7, re-

spectively. V I I 3. Booklet entitledThe Reading High Production Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine-'- which, forming a supplement to the above noted 19%0 parts catalog or the Textile Machine Works, is a publication or the Textile Machine Works, copyrighted by the latter in 1940.

4. Pamphlet entitledKnitting Machine Lectures-puplished by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, in 1935.

The arrangement within the invention shown in the drawing is one designed for a full-fashioned knitting machine and comprises a yarn carrier rod or bar to which is fixed a yarn laying means having a plate or holder fixed directly to the bar and having a carrier in the form of an arm which supports a yarn guide or delivery tube, by which the yarn is delivered to knitting or loop forming elements of the machine. It will be understood that such a bar extends along nearly the full length of the machine and has yarn carriers thereon, one for each knitting section, and that afull-fashioned knitting machine may have as many as thirty or more knitting sections. When the machine is designed to use nine yarns, there are nine carrier rods arranged in a group and reciprocated when desired by connecting them to friction boxes on a friction rod forming part of a coulier mechanism adapted to reciprocate the friction rod during knitting operations of the machine. All the yarn carriers or" a machine are secured to the yarn carrier rods in the same general way and the construction of all the yarn carriers of a machine is generally the same, with the exception of the angles at which the carriers are bent to approach the loop forming elements. Therefore, only one carrier red and yarn carrier is shown and described, the so-called No. l yarn carrier and rod, this yarn carrier being the main yarn carrier having the greatest degree of bend with respect to the loop forming elements.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a portion of a carrier rod indicated at H3 extends parallel to the rows of knitting needles of the knitting sections and carries, a yarn laying means or carrier l2 for each of said knitting sections. The carrier I2 is secured to the carrier rod IO and extends forwardly and downwardly to a position above a portion of the knitting or loop forming mechanism of the machine. As shown, said mechanism comprises a sinker-head M for each knitting section of the machine and the sinkerhead includes a base member l5 and a cap member l6, both having slots or tricks therein for guiding sinkers l8 and dividers it by which the yarn is kinked around the stems of needles 2! during the formation of loops. Needles 2! are shown as having beards 22 for engaging the yarn to draw the new loops through the old ones to form new courses. At the time the yarn is laid by the carrier i2, the needles are at the highest points in their paths, as shown in Fig. 1, and form a recess with the sinkerhead into which the yarn carrier must project 4 so that the yarn may be caught by the throats 2d at the forward ends of the sinkers and dividers at the times the sinkers and dividers are to kink the yarn. In the lower end of the carrier is a yarn guide or delivery tube 23, Fig. 2, the lower end of which is at a level such that yarn delivered thereby is caught by the upper edge of the throats of the sinkers.

The illustrated yarn laying means or carrier [2 comprises a holder or plate member 28 which is connected to bar 10 by means of screws 30 and may be assumed to be the main carrier having the greatest degree of bend. The yarn carrier shown is composed of an elongated member or arm 32 having a main portion adapted for mounting upon the holder 28 and a portion at its lower end arranged to position the yarn guide tube properly with respect to the loop forming elements. Means, comprising screws 34 and suitably apertured portions of the holder 28 and arm or finger 32, are utilized to disconnectably attach said arm to the holder. A combined eyelet and washer plate 33 is shown assembled upon the top of the arm by the screws 34. Just beyond the upper edge of the sinker-head cap it, arm 32 bends downwardly as at 33, to lie parallel to the front face of cap member It, the resulting inclination of the portion of arm 32 below bend 33 being best shown in Fig. 2. The end portion of carrier 32 below bend 33 has a longitudinally bisecting recess or bore 35 therein to mount the yarn guide tube 25 at the lower end of the carrier. Tube 26 is so positioned that it extends below the upperedges of sinkers [8 in the usual manner. The dividers l3, however, are notched at their forward ends so that the carrier can be brought to a stop in the vertical plane of any of the dividers and the sinkers and dividers brought forward Without danger of interfering with the tube 26 when it is necessary for the sinkers and dividers to be brought forward either for kinking the yarn between the needles or, at a later point in the cycle, to strip the loops down on the needles in the usual manner.

The tube 26 is shown as of the readily replaceable type, although the invention is not limited to this, it having been the'common practice for a long period to solder the yarn guide or delivery tubes in bores in the ends of the carrier arms. As shown in Fig. 2, the tube 26 has an enlarged head 40 a portion or which extends through an aperture in the arm 32 to maintain the tube in position in the arm. A band type spring 42 is provided which lies in a groove extending across the front of arm 32 and around the edges of the armto the th reof. W ere th ends of the spring are h ld n recess s permi in alimited e ent o th b Whe ebyt ad M! y be released from engagement with the arm when it is desired to remove the tube from the arm for p a em nt 7.

V m A knitting yarn 43 is shown as passing along the top of the carrier l2 andas b eingguided in a known way in holes in a turned up portion 44 on plate 28andin holes, turned up ends 45 on washer plate 36 before reaching the upper or intake end of the opening in the tube '25. It has been customary to form a groove 66 in the arm 32 extending from above bend 33 to the head 49 of the tube '26 as shown in Fig. 2, for guiding the yarn into the tube. Now that, readily -replaceable tubes of the type of tube 26 are in use, the groove 46 is also, necessary in that it facilitates removal of tubes which cannot be drawn downwardly through the end of arm 32 and which must therefore be inserted and removed through the groove.

It is in connection with the groove 46 that the difiiculty of roughening and cutting has occurred. Heretofore, the yarn has passed through a portion of the groove, over the bottom of the groove at the bend 33 in the arm 32 and into the tube 26, and where the carrier was employed as the main carrier there was always some wear at the bottom of the groove. However, with the comparatively new developments in synthetic yarns, such as nylon, and particularly the finer size yarns of this type which are made of a single filament, the continuous rubbing of the yarn over the bent portion of the carrier wears or cuts a groove entirely through the carrier in a very short time. ln accordance with the invention, means is provided whereby the yarn is prevented from entering any but a portion of the groove 46 and is prevented from contacting any portion of the bottom surface of the groove 46. As shown in Figsul, 2 and 3, there is a resilient wire-like guard or bridge member 50 attached to arm 32 in a recess 5| substantially the same height as the upper surface of the arm and extending across the groove 46 above but adjacent bend 33, although the invention is not limited to said relation of the member to the surface of the carrier in all cases. As shown in Fig. 2 the upper surface of the member 56 directs the yarn 43 substantially coaxially of the tube 26. As further shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing the member 56 has end portions 52 bent relative to the central or body portion thereof, the ends extending slightly toward each other in such manner as to engage the sides of apertures 54 in the arm 32 with a clamping action. Due to its natural resiliency, the ends 52 of member 50 may be readily removed or inserted in apertures 54 in arm 32 to replace the member when it is Worn or to facilitate the removal and replacement of atube 26. Preferably, the material of member 56 is of a hard character, but this is not essential because of its replaceability.

The yarn 43 is shown in Fig. 2 as being under tension and it will be understood that this is the normal condition of the yarn when it is being fed to the knitting elements. Therefore, the hole in the lower turned up portion 45 bein above the surface of arm 32 and the upper surface of member 50 being at least close to the surface of member 32, the taut yarn 43 passes from portion 45 to member 50 along a line tangent to the upper surface of member 56. After bendin around an arcuate portion of the surface of member 50, the yarn passes straight into the mouth of tube 26 without contact with arm 32 except such as is caused by whipping of the yarn. Thus it will be clear from the drawing that guard 56 substantially prevents contact of the yarn 43 with the bottom and sides of groove 46 and with the face of carrier 32, except in case the yarn whips laterally beyond ends 52. In such a case, smooth rounded shoulders 56 joining the ends 52 and the central or body portion of guard 56 effectively prevent the yarn from catching on the guard. This is especially important when the low twist multi-filament yarns are used. While such multifilament yarns do not usually have the severe abrasive action of the mono-filament yarns it may be desirable and in some instances necessary to employ the bridge member 50 to prevent any yarn from entering the groove 46 in an arm 32, particularly where the surface in the groove has been marred by the action of previously used yarns.

It will be seen further that the member 50,

it will be seen that the holes 54 are so placed 7 lengthwise of the arm 32 that the surface of the guard and the bore of tube 26 will have the desired relationship. h g

In machines where a plurality of main yarns are employed in alternation as in the so-called ringless system, the yarn carriers for each of the plurality of yarns operate inpaths, one above theother, As the fringless carriers are usually the closest to the cap member it of the sinkerhead Hi, the carriers have very little space between them. Therefore the top of the bridge members, while being substantially flush with the upper surface of these carriers, raises the yarn above the top face of the carriers to such an extent as to sometimes cause a carrier in one path tointerferewiththe yarn of the carrier in the .path immediately below.

In order to avoid such interference a modified form of bridge member is employed as shown .in FigsIfl and 5. This bridge member, indicated at 66, extends across the groove 46 in the arm 32 in the same manner as the member 50. However, where the member 56 forms a substantially flat surface transversely-of the arm 32, the member 66 is bent to form a concave surface 6|, for the yarn, also extending transversely of the arm 32. The body portion of the member 66 is joined by rounded portions 63 to end portions 64 which are bent to engage the sides of apertures 65 in the arm 32 with a clamping action in the same manner as the ends 52 of member 50 engage the sides'eof apertures 54. As shown in Fig. 4, the arm is provided with a slot 68 curved to receive the body portion of the'member 60 the slot being of such depth that the top edges of the member at the end portions 63 will be substantially the same height as the top surface of the arm 32 to thereby avoid interference between the carriers of the ringless system. It will be further seen from Fig. 4 that the member 60 is bent to such depth that the yarn will be entirely below the rounded portions 63 of the member during feeding of the yarn which will also eliminate interference between the feeding yarn and the idle carriers of said ringless system.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above desired results may be obtained can be changed and modified in various ways Without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a carrier for feeding yarn to the loop forming elements of a weft knitting machine and having a recess at one end for receiving a yarn delivery tube and having also a groove in the face thereof along which the yarn passes to said tube and through the lower end of which the yarn may enter the tube, and a wire bridge extending transversely across said groove, the carrier having holes on opposite sides of the groove into which the ends of the bridge enter and said ends biased toward each other to engage the walls of said holes.

2. The combination of a carrier for feeding yarn to loop forming elements of a knitting mahihehaiiifig' at recess at dfle' e'z'id fofri iing'" a gram delivery tube and a groove iir the faee there'- of along which the yarn passes t6 the delivery tube; and an elongated member reviding a straight surface arid eXtehd-iiig transversely across the groove for prevee ing the s arnfr'om engaging the bottom surface' of Said groove diffing feeding movements of the yarn, said member adaptedto replaceably engage the earner ateraposite sides of the groove;

3. A carrier forfee'ding y'arri to the loop" form mg elements of a knitting machine,- the carrier comprising an arm having a pdrtio'n and an end portion lying at an angle to the min portion, a yarn guide tube earned by the' erld por tion, a groove ext'ndifig longitudinally of the arm, and wire means extenders transversely 6f the gr'odve adjacent the J" "entire or said mm and ehd portions and positioned to underlie the yarn ahd to eleva-te it ahoffe the bottomof the groove and direct" it iiitd said tube,

4. A- earri'er for feeding" yarn to the T001 forth ing elements of aknitti-ng iriachine; the carrier comprising an arm" having a thai-n portion and an end portion Wing at arrangle to the rhai-ii per tion, a erdove extend-h1g lofigitildinil'li of the carrier, Wire means extendihg transversely of the groove adjaeeht the juneture of said mam and end: portions arid pos'itic ii'ied t'e' urid'i l'ie the yarn and elevate it ahev'e the hottoth" of the groove and direct it ir itosa id' time; and detachab'ly' securing said Wife fri axis to sa-id arfri.

5. A carrier for feedi 1 am t0 the loop forming elements of a maHi'hQ-the c'a/rrier:

comprising an ar'rr'i h g a main portion and an erid pdrtioil lyifig 2i;- zih afigl' td main portion; a yarn gilide 11156 carried by the 61561- portiema groove e'XtIid i-iig longifiiidiflainy of the arm, Ei-id mGafise'X'tfidi-iiQ aG -tl ie groove and farming a} suppers for the y rinbt si bstant iall y higfil than the aejaeent unset Siirfac of the cerr't upper surfade of the "arm, said means lying adjacent the juncture (Sf-said main and end por tione and positioned to elevate thegy'ar'n above the ot'mmof the groove and to direct it into i i b .7 a a 7. A carrier for feeding yam to the loopiforrm iiig elements of a; knitting machine, the carrier campr' ing an arm having a main portion and an end portion lyin'g atan angle tothe main portion, a; yarn guide tupecarried by said end portion, a groove eiitendiri'g longitudinally of the" arm, frie'ans detaehably secured to the arm and extending' adros's the grave and forming a support for the iarnnot substantially higher than the adjacent upper sur'faee of the arm, said means lying adjacent the juncture of said main and end por tiohs and positioned to elevate the yarn above the bo'ttomof the groove and to deliver it into' saidt'ube. v

EMIL' WILLIAM KAUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following" references" are of record hi the file (if this patent? V UNITED STATES PATENTS Feus'ti June 1 7, 1947 

